Structure of the Temple
At the entrance, a statue of the Nandi bull can be seen that weighs around 20 tonnes. The height of the Shiva linga inside the temple is 3.7m. There can be seen two entrances in the temple – a five-storey gopuram and a free-standing gopuram. Mandapas is the name given to the two halls (pillared and assembly hall) of the temple. In the womb chamber, only priests can enter. The vimana i.e. the structure over the inner sanctum is at a height of around 59.82 m above the ground. It’s called Dakshina Meru, named after Lord Shiva’s home on Mount Kailasa.
The temple consists of treasured Tamil inscriptions carved out in stone. Some of the inscriptions laid down the earliest records of the temple. The inscriptions were engraved only after orders were given by the King. Execution of the temple plan along with the list of the gifts that were given to the temple was also mentioned on these inscriptions. On one of the north walls of the temple enclosure, an inscription is there where the names and wages of all those who were employed and supported by the temple are written.
The World Heritage Brihadeshwara Temple
Brihadeshwara temple is a Hindu Dravidian-style temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and located at the bank of the Cauvery river in Thanjavur, Tamilnadu. The temple was constructed by Rajaraja Chola-I who was one of the great emperors of the Chola dynasty and it was designed by “Kunjara Mallan Raja Rama Perunthachan” between 1003 and 1010 AD.